Model photography is all about packaging. Your look differentiates you from everything and everyone else. Everyone in the industry knows it’s what’s on the outside that matters.

Your portfolio’s packaging should say as much about you as the shots contained inside. If your portfolio looks just like every other portfolio out there, you’re potentially leaving work on the table. You’re letting someone else be more memorable than you.

What is a publisher? What should I expect from a publisher? How much will they pay me in royalties?

People are often surprised by the answers to these questions. Before answering in any detail we need to establish some definitions. There are many types of publishers offering a variety of service. I choose to use the following definition in order to further the conversation. However, you will find companies calling themselves one type of publisher while offering a variety of service typically associated with another. These basic definitions will give us a starting point from which to better understand the publishing industry:

While this site is new and no one has yet to read this blog, if I don't start writing no one ever will. I have decided to start with a series on publishing. It is, after all, what I do for a living.

There are many different types of publishers. Each offers a variety of services. Some specialize in specific genre and others in types of customers. The names associated with all the various publishers (e.g. traditional, vanity press, short-run, etc.) mean less than understanding what services are available and how to best choose a publisher who will work with you to your advantage.

In the first installment of the series, I will examine the difference between royalty and non-royalty publishing.